The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1910)

THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD. 31 Pick up a Columbia Double-Disc Record and read that guaranty of ours once more— printed on the envelope. Feature it. It is valuable. It is official. We mean it, we sign it, and we stand back of it. TIMELY TALKS ON TIMELY TOPICS In the official figures of exports issued by the United States government it will be noted how rapidly the foreign business of the talking machine trade is expanding. Every month shows a remarkable increase over its predecessor, and though the trade is comparatively young alongside the music industry, still the exports of talking machines, records, etc., exceed those of all kinds of musical instruments combined. For instance, take the latest report furnished by the government, revealing the following amazing totals: The total exports of talking machines, records and supplies for February, 1910, amounted to $290,358, as compared with $214,341 for the same month of the previous year. The eight months' exportations of talking machines, records and supplies amounted to $2,481,906, as against $1,926,228 for the same period in 1909. This is certainly a handsome showing. It should be recalled also that three-fourths at least of these goods go to the Spanish-American countries and Australia, very little going to Europe, which is covered with agencies manufacturing their own lines, even if they are of American origin. In last month's World mention was made in a "Topic" relative to the talk about "restraint" of trade as applied to patented inventions. It was made clear that this application was erroneous, an opinion strengthened by a decision rendered by Judge Noyes a few weeks ago in the United States Circuit Court, Southern District of New York, in a moving picture case, who said: "1 am of the opinion that the charge, if established, that the complainant (Moving Pictures Patent Co.) is itself, or is a member of, a combination in violation of the Federal (Sherman) antitrust statute is not a defense available in an action for the infringement of a patent and fails to show a defect in the complainant's title." The attorney for the defense who set up this argument is evidently entitled to the proverbial leather medal for his legal knowledge and acumen! To be sure, as is well known, the decisions of the courts in patent suits are not relished by the defeated. That is in the very nature of things. At the same time, it is just as well to exercise one's common sense in such matters and make the most of it. Both sides cannot be victorious, and twisting and turning statements that may present a plausible appearance will not alter the court's decision. Not infrequently remarks are made that the judges have been "approached," been "bribed," etc., which is the rankest nonsense. It is true that the litigation over certain talking machine patents has covered years of work and been bitterly contested, and when the final deciding opinion is written the fellows who have to bear the brunt of the adverse action of the court have boldly stated such and such a judge was paid "$350,000," etc. These exact figures are quoted because they were the ones actually employed in speaking of one of the most distinguished of Federal jurists. Of course there was not a word of truth in this ridiculous statement, and when it was uttered by a man who did know better its absurdity is only the more glaring. The Eastern Talking Machine Associates, composed of the employes of the Eastern Talking Machine Co., of Boston, Mass., hold monthly rtieetings which are very beneficial not only to the members, but the company also. At one of the recent meetings W. J. Fitzgerald, a salesman, read a paper on "The Selling Points of Edison Phonographs." The various models of the National Phonograph Co.'s product were described and commented upon in an interesting manner and were of special benefit to the younger members of the selling staff. Organizations of this character would be helpful, in every establishment of any size and their formation should be encouraged by the principals. Again the New York Phonograph Co., defunct, has been in court, but in no way to concern the trade. When the settlement was made by the National Phonograph Co. one of the lawyers failed to get a share of the proceeds. He claimed he had made arrangements with the former to be their counsel and this contention was carried into the New York Supreme Court. The judge awarded the counselor in question a lien for $131,625, and unless this is set aside in the Court of Appeals this amount must be paid over. The particulars of this curious incident appears in the news columns of The World. An inventor who had been rummaging among a lot of British talking machine patents declares he discovered that Thomas A. Edison invented a double-face disc record in 1878. Of course, the patent has expired; but this is a "find" that will doubtless be of interest — if true. J. A. Macnabb, vice-president and general manager of the Universal Talking Machine Manufacturing Co., Philadelphia, Pa., writes as follows to The World: "I find it will be impossible for us to get out a list of records for May on account of taking so long to get our laboratry established. I expect, however, to get out a list of about twenty-five records and this list we will call May and June and will rush it out at the earliest possible moment. Will also state that business is very much improved. We have received several large orders from the West and have established four new jobbers inside of two weeks." nouncement in the New York Evening World: "We have bought two hundred and sixty-five thousand Zon-o-phone records and will sell them at nineteen cents. Until this offer was made by us Zon o-phone records were never sold for less than the restricted price— sixty cents. When the factory owners decided to limit their production to double-faced records, they found that they had an unsold .balance of 265,000 single-faced records in their stock room. Wanting to c'.ose them out quickly, they accepted our offer for the entire lot. Of course they could have realized much more money had they sold them to different retailers in small quantities. Many dealers would have paid double what we did for lots of five to ten thousand. But the makers were bent on making a clean sweep of them with a single transaction— and we got over one-quarter of a million of these splendid records so advantageously that we are enabled to sell them at nineteen cents." The sale was negotiated by Louis Silverman. The National Phonograph Co., Orange, N. J., is the first of the great manufacturing companies to market what they term "A Combination Outfit," the particulars of which were published in last month's World. It has attracted a great deal of attention on the part of the entire trade, and, from fugitive reports since, it would not be a surprise if other like offers would make their appearance before long. The primary object of the National company is for "bringing into active use the many Edison phonographs which may have been laid aside due to their being equipped for standard (two-minute) records only," besides "creating a new interest on the part of phonograph users in Amberol records." There is no question that a great many talking machines have been laid aside, and probably forgotten nearly by their owners. There are various reasons for this seeming neglect and the energetic dealer should make it his business to "dig them up," create a new interest in their possession and again put their owners on the list of active and not passive record buyers. The suggestion — and a splendid one it is — has been made that dealers who are up to date and progressive would lose little, if anything, in the long run if they offered to overhaul these machines and if necessary add such little repairing as would be needful to put them in prime condition. R. H. Macy & Co., the great New York department store, on March 30 made the following an Dealers are not lacking in foresight so far as getting people to renew their interest in the talking machine is concerned. The products of the manufacturers were never finer and their list of records never so elegantly finished or diversified as to the high character of selections, whether the numbers include vocal, band, orchestral or "talking" subjects. These facts should be attractively and forcibly presented to the public. When this has been followed the results have been very satisfactory, and in some instances abundantly so — it has made friends for the dealer, ergo more trade.